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New McDaniel stadium named in honor of Kenneth R. Gill

McDaniel College has broken ground on an estimated $8-million stadium project designed by architect Marshall Craft Associates of Baltimore. Construction is set to begin in February 2012 with a targeted completion date for the first home football game, which is slated for September 15, 2012.

The new, fully-equipped multipurpose stadium has been named in honor of Kenneth R. Gill, a 1961 alumnus of the college, in recognition of his generosity and leadership of this fundraising effort. A current trustee, Gill played on the Green Terror football team all four years he attended the college, and has made gifts totaling $2.25 million toward the project.

The stadium will retain its hallmark bowl seating and tradition of drive-in tailgating while increasing seating capacity. The new seating capacity for the stadium is 1,434, including accessible seats (current seating capacity is 900).

The two-story brick and concrete facility is to be built on the site of the current grandstand. Features include concessions, public restrooms, coaches’ rooms, observation boxes, a large press box, a training room, filming areas, home and visiting team meeting rooms, and reception and gathering room. New field lighting was installed in 2010 in preparation of the groundbreaking and was funded by the Yingling family.

The project also includes a new entrance and roadway on West Main Street and an accessible pedestrian walkway linking the landmark caboose with the stadium facility.

Funding for the stadium project, which was outlined in the campus master plan, is solely funded through charitable gifts and not drawn from the college’s operating budget.

“We have raised $7.7 million in gifts and pledges and have received $6 million in cash, which has allowed us to break ground on this important project. Funds are still actively being raised for parts of the project,” said Dr. Roger Casey, president of McDaniel College.

“McDaniel’s dynamic athletic program enriches the college’s living-learning community. The new stadium will help support the college’s student-athletes, its coaches, and spectators by providing an improved game-day experience. We are thankful for the generosity of Ken Gill and the over 100 individuals and businesses that have contributed so far to the project. We look forward to raising even more funds to strengthen our athletic programs.”